Bill Clinton to fundraise for Terry McAuliffe

Bill Clinton’s first political event of the cycle appears to be in support of his longtime friend Terry McAuliffe’s Virginia gubernatorial bid: The former president is headlining a New York City fundraiser for the former DNC chairman, according to an invitation.

The invitation for the March 13 event is from investment banker Marc Lasry, who’s been a major donor to both President Barack Obama and the Clintons, and Doug Band, who was Clinton’s longtime adviser. McAuliffe is facing Ken Cuccinelli, the state’s attorney general, with recent polls showing a tight race.

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“On March 13 we will be hosting a small event with President Clinton in support of Terry McAuliffe’s 2013 campaign for Governor of Virginia,” reads the email about the fundraiser, which was first reported by the New York Daily News’s Daily Politics blog. “Terry has been there for all of us before and has tirelessly worked for Democrats across the country in his career. Now is time for us to be there for him.”

It continues, “This year Terry is running against a tea party extremist. If Terry’s opponent wins, we’ll be turning our back on much of the progress we’ve made in the past four years. We know so many of you want to help Terry and have already offered your support. We hope you will stand with us in March, along with President Clinton, to help our friend Terry in this important campaign.”

McAuliffe’s race is one of the most watched in the country in a year with few competitive contests. But many Democrats also see it as something of a testing ground for a potential Hillary Clinton run for president in 2016, in terms of keeping a donor network engaged and active, among other ways.